| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Allegory | A story with a hidden meaning or moral beneath it's surface. |
| Alliteration | The repetition of consonant sounds. |
| Allusion | A reference to another work or famous figure. |
| Ambiguous | Capable of many interpretations. |
| Analogy | A comparison explaining a complex idea or concept using a simpler one. |
| Assonance | The repeated use of vowel sounds. |
| Catharsis | The "cleansing" of an emotion an audience member experiences. |
| Cacophony | Using deliberately harsh, awkward sounds (for noise). |
| Connotation | The implied or suggested, "deeper", meaning of a work. |
| Denotation | The literal "dictionary" meaning. |
| Consonance | The repetition of consonant sounds within words. |
| Couplet | A pair of lines that end in rhyme. |
| Diction | The author's choice of words. |
| Elegy | A type of poem that meditates on death or mortality in a serious, thoughtful manner. |
| Syntax | Refers to the ordering and structuring of words. |
| Euphemism | A word or phrase that takes the place of a harsh, unpleasant, or impolite reality. |
| Hyerbole | Exaggeration or deliberate overstatement. |
| Pathetic Fallacy | The attribution of human feelings to natural phenomena. |
| Foreshadowing | An event or statement in a narrative that suggests a larger event to come later. |
| Free Verse | Poetry written without a regular rhyme scheme or metrical patttern. |
| Imagery | Mental picture. |
| Irony | A statement that means opposite of what it seems to mean. |
| Metaphor | A comparison, or analogy that states one thing is another. |
| Simile | Comparing using like or as. |
| Personification | Giving animals, objects, or even ideas "human" qualities. |
| Pathos | Writing that evokes feelings of dignified pity and sympathy. |
| Protagonist | The main character of a novel or play. |
| Antagonist | The opponent or "bad guy" against the protagonist. |
Combine with other sets
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